Sanitary bed or couch



T. PE-ERS.

SANITARY BED 0R COUCH.

APPLICATION man nac. e, 1918.

Vl 6 1 544. Patented Dec. 7, 1920.

UNITED sTA'rEs THOMAS ranas, or Livnnroof., ENGLAND.

SANITARY BED 0R COUCH.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 7,

Application filed December 9, 1918. Serial No. 265,996.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS PEnns, a subject of the `King of England, residing at 36 Dodge street, Liverpool, in the county of Lancaster, England, furnisher and decorator, have invented certain new and useful Tmprovements in Sanitary Beds or Couches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an arrangement of devices whereby the occupant of a bed or the attendant can remove a separate but well supported portion of the mattress and bring a commode beneath the hole thus formed and afterward replace the two parts in their original positions.

Now by my invention the valve or subsidiary mattress is connected with the commode box directly by links, and the subsidiary mattress is well supported by a crank shaft in bearings close to the hole.

The invention will be understood from the following description reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a sectional elevation showing my invention applied to a bed-stead, the section being taken on the line A. B of the Fig. 2.

F ig. 2 is a plan view.

In these drawings 1 is the bedstead supporting the mattress 2. In the mattress 2 and in the bedding on top of it is a hole or passage way 3. This hole or passage way 3 is normally closed by a door 4 hinged at 5 to a fixed part of the bedstead so that it will open downward and this door is provided with a small supplementary mattress 6 which just fills the passage way 3 and lies flush with the top of the main mattress 2 when the door is closed. The door when closed forms a substantially stench tight joint for preventing the exhalation of fetid odors. Below the bed bottom 1 is an Open topped box 7 mounted in guides 8 so as to slide longitudinally of the bedstead, such box containing a pan 9 for fces. To this door 4 is affixed a cross bar 10 the ends of which are coupled to the sliding box 7 by means of side links 11 so that by pushing the door downward on its hinge 5 into the opened position, the box with its pan is brought immediately below the aperture or hiatus 3. The sliding box 7'together with the door 4 are inclosed in a casing 12 affixed to the underside of bed bottom 1, such casing `being, large enough to contain all the "to receive the faeces.

working parts of the apparatus and enable them to move into their operative or inoperative positions. This casing 12 which has a door 13 at one end, is also designed to making a stench tight inclosure when the door 13 is closed, and it may also contain a pan for disinfectant which deodorizes the mephitic vapors. Passing across the underside of the bed bottom are the spindles 14 the inner end of each of which is provided with a crank 15 coupled to the cross bar. 10, such spindles being mounted in suitable bearings, while the outer end of each spindle at the sides of kthe bedstead is provided with a crank handle 16 which can be held locked in position by a locking pin 17 passed through a hole in the crank handle and a suitable rack.

A patient wishing to use the apparatus unfastens the locking pin and turns the crank handle at one side or other of the bedstead. This turning of the handle opens the door 4 and at the same time slides the box 7 into a position immediately below the aperture 3, thus putting the pan intov position When finished with, the handle is turned back to its original position, thus sliding the box toward the rear of the bedstead in proximity to the door 13 and closing the aperture 3 again. If desired the closing of the aperture 3 can be arranged to drop a body of earth upon the faeces to absorb the eflluvia. The door 13 can then be opened and the contents of the pan emptied or used as a fertilizer.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by y Letters Patent is :m

A bed or couch having an aperture near its center, a casing carried by the bottom side of the bed and set in from the side edges thereof to provide an inclosure with which the bed aperture communicates, a door hinged to a fixed part of the bed and opening into said casing and normally and completely closing the aperture of the bed by having its edges overlap the marginal edges of the bed aperture, a bar carried by said door, guides under the bed in said casing, a pan holder slidable on said guide, spindles extending transversely of the bottom of the bed and out of said casing, bearings arranged adjacent the bed aperture and supporting Vsaid spindle, cranks on the inner ends of said spindles and coupled to the' ends of said bar, rigid side links connecting the ends of said bar with said pan holder and constantly and Wholly outside of said pan holder, the arrangement Vbeing such that a rocking movement of the spindle operates said door and shifts said pan holder into registration with the bed aperture, and cranks on the outer ends of said spindles adtpted to be actuated at the sides of said be In testimony whereof I aiix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

THOMAS PEERS. VWitnesses:

EMILY BURNETT, MARJORIE FoRsTER. 

